Device for locating and raising sunken vessels.



c. GJCHENEY.

DEVICE FOR LOCATING AND RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS.

'APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, I917. I 1,269,523. Patented June 11, 1918.

ado Maw I I II I] II I] ll ll Application fi1edMarch 19, 1917. Serial N 0. 155,672.

UNITED STAT OFFICE? cnmns. efonnn'nv, or Tacoma, wesnnveron'. j

,1 nnvrcn FOR- LOCATING, AND nArsING aw rene s,

ToaZZ Mam it mag concern:

,"Beit known that 1, CHARLES G. CHENEY, aciti'zen ofth'e United States, residing at Tacoma," in'thecounty of Pierce, *State of 'lVa shington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Devices for Locatingand Raising Sunken Vessels,'-of which p the following is a specification.

This-invention relates to devices for recovering wrecked vessels and has for its objects. to provide means whereby'the submerged wreck may belocated, and whereby asuitable raising means may be guided'to said wreck. The invention further'has' for itsobj ect to provide a suitable raising means adapted to be-guided by said locating means, anda suitable device fixedly mounted onthe vessel'anch-adapted' to be engaged by said raising means andadapted tosecure itto said vessel; Further" objects are to, provide means whereby'the lifting strains on the ship are J carriedjdirectly. by its keel systeln and whereby, if the ship is lying on its side, the

strains forfri'ghting it are [carried by the vessel'- framing.

LI attain'these and other objects by the devices; mechanisms "and arrangements illustrated in so whichthe accompanying drawings, in

: Figure 1 is'a vertical'longitudinal section of a'. ship equipped with my invention;

f Fig. 2 is atransverse section thereof;

Fig.3 isfa perspective view. of one ofthe loops-secured to the ship; I 4 "s-a verticalsectionof the hook, or raising means, showing it in engagement with the loop, or securing means;

F'g; 5 's a similar view of said parts taken plane at right-angles, to that 'of Fig.4; and Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic 'view'of the submerged vessel, lying on its side, and showing: one locating means still floating while another has been disconnected from thefloating'buoy and is guiding theraising means to the securing means thereon.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views. The vessel 1 is provided with the usual longitudinal interior keel 2 to which the frames 3 of the ship are secured, the skin 4 being secured to the frames 3. The deck 5 is supported by suitable transverse beams 6. On top of the deck 5 I fasten one or more heavy securing loops 7, by means of four strong bars 8 which extend downward there- Specification of Letters Batent.

from, through-the ship, and are secured at their lower ends to the two sides of-the interior keel-2'. These bars 8 carry the strain to the keel 2 when the ship 1"is: supported by the said securing loops K, ashereinafter described. -Thebars 8 are also secured to a pair of the'transverse 'beams'6 so that when the submerged ship lies on its side and a lifting strain is applied to the loops 7, to right it, the said strain will be transferred by the beams 6to the frames 3 of the ship, thus relieving the major portion of the bars 8 from any bending action. 5

A- cable-holder 9 is permanently and fixedly fastened to the deck 5 of the vessel near each such securing loop 7 This holder scribed raising hooks. This buoy 11 is pref erably loosely mounted on the cable-holder 9, as-shown, so as to be free to rise therefrom when'the'ship sinks. As the vessel 1 sinks the cables 10. unwind from the holders 9 until the vesselstrikesthe bottom, and the buoys 11 float on the surface to indicate the position of the-ship. v

When it is desired to recover the sunken ship,-the double snap hooks 12 are lowered thereto and eng'age the securing loops -7 as follows: Each such hook 12 is secured to the .end of a heavycable or chain 13, carried bylthe raising ship l l. The hook 12 cons'istsofan'inverted Uishaped body, each de-' pendin w arm ofwhich is forked to, receive and hofd a latch member 15 which is mount ed on a pin'16 so'as to be freeto swing there- 'on in a vertical plane. The two said latch members 15 are each shaped so as to extend one-half way across the space between the arms of the hook 12 and rest against each other, or to swing upward therefrom so as to allow the loop 7 to pass upward'from below into the space above the said latch members 15. But the said latch members 15 cannot swing farther down than said central position.

A web 17 extends across the space above the latch members 15 from arm to arm of the hook and is adapted to strengthen the said arms. This Web 17 is provided With-a guide hole 18 through which the light cable 10 may be threaded, and by Which the Whole hook is guided to the loop 7 My apparatus operates in the following manner V IVhen a vessel, equipped With my invention, sinks, all thebuoys 11 (and. they may be many) break away therefrom and float on, the surface, thus unwinding the cables 10 from the holders 9 as the vessel goes down. These-buoys 1 1 thuszform amarker for thelocation of the Wreckand alsoiserve forameansof rescuing those persons thrown into the Water from the sinking vessel. Then, when th recovering vessel 14 arrives, one of thelbuoys ll-is raisedfrom the Water (Fig. 6) andis detachedvfrom the cable 10, Which is'then threaded through the guide hole 18 in the Web 17 of one of the hooks 12, which has previously been secured to a heavy cable or chain 13, and the free-send of the light cable 10 is madefast on; the vessel 14:. Then the cable 13 is slackened to lower the'hook 12a11cl thehook slidesdown the cable 10, which may be made-as taut-as desired, 'until it reachesthe loop .7 secured to the sunkenship 1. The loop 7 forces the latch; members 15 to turn on; the pins16to allow it to .passiabovethe said latch members 15, when the sWing'doWn again-and closethe hook so tnatathe loop 7; cannot now pass therefrom. J'Then' the other buoys llfare each similarly: removed and hooks slid: down their respective cables lOi tor their-respective loops:7 on thesunkenship, until asuiiicient number have been: thus attached to raise the ship. Any of the Well known devices may be used in the actual raisingof the ship, as maybe desired oras circumstances imayspermit.

Having described my invention what I claim is: I

1. In a device of the class describedythe combination With "a vessel having a frame including an inner keel member and transverse deck beams, of securingmeans=m01lnted onthe deck of the vessel,-vertical; tension bars: or members fitt edl against the sides of the keel: nnember: and the transverse beams Copies of this patentrmayibe; obtained for 3. In a device .ofthe, class described, the

combination with a vesselhavinga frame includingan inner ,keel member. and trans verse deck beams, ofsecuring means consisting of a plate arranged uponithe deck of the vessel andlprovided withian upwardly projecting gloop, vertical tension bars ,or members, located at' the corners of the plate and .connected'with the same, said tension bars .or members being fitedu'against the, keel member and. the transverse beams landsecured to the same and raising mechanism having means for engaging the saidloop.

4:. In a device .of the class;descr ibed,-the

combination with a .loop i and means forse-v curing the; same to the deck of a vessel,.of raising mechanism includ ng ,an nverted open ended,approximately Urshaped body and a pair of pivoted latch membersmounted on the ibodyat opposite, sides thereof, and arranged .to close the open end of. the said body i and engage the, said loop.

5. In a device of the class combination with a ,loop, ,and means for securing the same to; the deck of vessel, of a line 4 connectedawith the ,loop .and. raising mechanism including a body, provided; with described, the V an opening through.,vvhich passes. thegsaid line said bodybeing pro idedwith Van-open end adapted to fit over the said.1oop ,,.an d,.a pair of latch members ,pivotally mounted on the body at opposite. sides, thereof and arranged, to; close the-open; endv of the body and engage the saidloop,

CHARLES .G. CHENEY.

five;cents eaeh, by aeare sinethe Commissioner 1. laden! Washington, D. G. 

